Sharp-eyed visitors to downtown Peterborough may have noticed something missing from Roy’s Market recently: its iconic lettering.
Tod Von Mertens of Hancock, a custom furniture maker and designer, volunteered his time and materials to fully replace the aging sign. He estimated the letters were 50 to 60 years old at minimum, and was “fairly confident” they were the originals, believed to have been installed shortly after the Roy family purchased the market in the mid-1950s.
“They had likely been cut from a template years ago, but we couldn’t find a digital font to match,” Von Mertens said.
To stay faithful to the original sign, Von Mertens traced each letter using a router with a collet guide and a small-diameter cutter to maintain the letters’ details. Each letter was hand-sanded and finished with three coats of marine primer, followed by four coats of premium marine topside paint, which is designed to expand and contract with changing weather.
“Hopefully, they’ll survive another 50 to 60 years,” Von Mertens said.
The new letters, made from marine plywood for durability, were installed Monday, Dec. 8, by Chris Anderson and Anna Von Mertens at the market’s main entrance.
“With all of the changes going on in town, Roy’s Market is committed to maintaining tradition and the rich history of our store, while also updating things into the modern era,” said Julianna Takacs, who owns the store with partner Brad Miller.
In their research into the history of Roy’s, Miller and Takacs learned that the business has occupied the same corner location for more than a century.
According to a May 17, 1928, article from the Peterborough Transcript: “The Wyman Cash Market has occupied its present location since November, 1920 and has done successful meat and provision business at this location.”
The original Roy’s building was destroyed during the 1938 flood and subsequent fire which devastated Peterborough, but was rebuilt with its iconic curved corner facade. The Roy family purchased the market in approximately 1955 or 1956.
Takacs and Miller bought the business in 2023 from Peter Robinson, the nephew of Albert Roy, ending 67 years of family ownership of the store.
While Robinson had fielded many offers to purchase Roy’s, he said at the time that he sold the business to Takacs and Miller specifically because of their committment to continue running the market as a locally owned community business.
“Julianna and Brad care about the community, have real relationships with the community and have the skills to run the business,” Robinson stated.
For more information about Roy’s Market in Peterborough go to https://roysmarketnh.com.
